One of our own is spending Christmas far away from home. Army Spc. LaShawn Mekiana Fret, shareholder descendent of Fairbanks, is currently in Iraq. She was accepted into Tanana Chiefs Conference Dental Assitant Program where she realized that she wanted to help people. She later moved to Seattle and worked for a dental office. In order to get money and training in the medical field, she joined the Army. Now she is part of a medical troop that attends to the soldiers who are risking their lives for our country. We thank you LaShawn for all that you are doing for us -- we are very proud of you. Christmas blessings to you and all of our soldiers.

LaShawn is married to Gil Fret and has two children: Jay, 11, and Andrea, 5. She is the daughter of shareholder Nina Opferman, the granddaughter of Ramona Dublin of Fairbanks, and the great granddaughter of the late Frank and Minnie Norton of Kotzebue. Below is a picture of her in Baghdad.

Photo courtesy of Nina Opferman